Cyanide Saliva
by SinfulFox
Summary: When a human mercenary is captured and enslaved in an underground youkai fight-club, his only chance of surviving may lay with a snobbish, arrogant she-demon who is determined to win his affections. As she risks her life and reputation to keep him in the game, he may realize she's not so superficial after all. Adult!Hagiri/OC, but more fighting and violence than romance.
1. Predator - Prey

**CYANIDE SALIVA: Chapter 1**

"Predator - Prey"

* * *

The dead ground seemed to crunch quietly under her boots as the young female walked along. Her long golden blonde, turquoise-tipped hair was pulled into loose twin tails, adorning each shoulder with a cascade of curled locks. Her flawless skin was nearly porcelain white and her face was soft and feminine, betrayed only by the bold and intimidating hues of her sharp, toxic purple eyes. Her slender frame, clothed in a frilly black and white lolita dress, gave her the overall appearance of a human-sized doll. Strapped to her back was a sleek guitar, painted with a glossy black and yellow finish, an instrument fit for a rockstar. Gentle and delicate, or so she looked, but Raikitsu wasn't at all what she appeared to be.

As her black, knee-high boots ever so lightly pressed against the youkai earth, she caught a most arousing scent. A fresh koi demon had surfaced from the nearby lake, daring to trod its fishy body onto dry land, and its precious scent reminded her just how much she would love to sink her teeth into its flesh. Quickly moving forward, both the water and her prey came into view, and she maneuvered around the thinning trees to flank the koi. Closer and closer she inched toward her meal, until she grew very still and very silent.

_THWACK!_

Her amethyst eyes widened suddenly as she watched the koi stumble backwards, its head flying back as if it had been shot. Her hunger was quickly replaced with anger as the creature staggered to the ground and finally slumped into lifelessness. Her hands clenched tightly, as did her teeth, and looking over to where this "shot" had come from, she saw a humanoid figure quickly approach to inspect his kill. As it got closer, she realized by his scent that he wasn't humanoid... he was _human_.

Eager to replace her meal, she leapt forward, happily ready to strike him down instead. Her movements were augmented, her speed vastly enhanced by her spirit energy, and she had crossed twenty yards within the blink of an eye. However, she was forced to skid to an early stop as, even quicker than she, the human male had whipped around with his hand directed at her, poised in a curious manner. His pointer and thumb were held firmly together while his three remaining fingers stretched straight out. She thought perhaps it was some defensive sort of meditation, or a summoning of special energy, until she noticed a small rock wedged between his finger and thumb.

Her brow twitched in both irritation and confusion. "You're... gonna flick a _stone_ at me?" Her voice was just as feminine as her appearance, though saturated with an arrogant tone.

The human failed to faulter in his position. "That's what I did to this guy." he spoke matter-of-factly, his own purple eyes gleaming into hers, almost challenging her to make a move.

She was almost taken aback by this human's reaction. The only humans she had ever dealt with were weak, nothing more than sheep fodder for the wolves. This one seemed to think he was on par with a highly ranked demon. "You mean the _guy_ that was going to be my lunch," she hissed, then stood up straight and turned her head to the side, closing her eyes as she crossed her arms. "which, by the way, do you know how long it's been since I've eaten? _Hmm?_ What are you even doing here, anyways? You have your own world to stick to."

"Not that it's any of your concern," he said with a sigh before lowering his lethal pebble-wielding hand, "but I came for fish-head here. Guess he made the wrong people mad. That's it."

Slowly her head turned back to him, her brow now raised instead out of curiosity. "Oh? So, you're some kind of what, mercenary?" He was easily a head taller than her, with messy black hair, a red jacket over a white t-shirt and dark denim jeans. His positioned hands had been protected in thick fingerless black gloves. Definitely didn't look like he belonged here, that was certain, but he wasn't exactly... you know, not attractive. Demon or not, she was still a female.

"Of sorts," he replied, turning to his fallen victim. Pulling a knife from his pocket, he flicked it open and jammed it into the koi's neck, then proceeded to saw and hack until the creature's head had been severed. With a couple shakes to rid his hand of gooey, green blood, he stood up and began to walk away.

"Wh-where are you going?!" Rai demanded, stomping after him.

He replied non-chalantly, not even stopping or glancing over his shoulder. "To get my pay. That's the gig."

"So you're just gonna _leave_ me here?!" With a growl, she ran ahead of him and spun around, blocking his path. "And what about my meal? The one that _you_ stole?"

Without missing a step, he just turned to walk around her. "I'm sure you'll find some other small, defenseless creature to maul."

"That's not the point!" Again she ran ahead of him and this time, stepped to either side as he tried to walk past her. His face, his demeanor, his voice, it was all so... so non-chalant, so utterly uninterested, and it drove her crazy. Did he even see her? As far as humans went, she was gorgeous! Even by most monster standards she was above average in attractiveness. Why wasn't he in awe? Flirtacious? Nervous? Charismatic? Charming? Anything?!

He stopped and rolled his eyes, before looking to her. "Would you leave me alone? Or get to the point?"

_He did it again!_ She wanted to punch him. Just a quick, sudden, suckerpunch to that face of his. That entirely apathetic, unamused... rather handsome face. "The point is, you owe me lunch." She said a bit more softly, though it was still demanding. "So how about after you drop off that head, you use that money to take me somewhere nice."

For a moment he hesitated, and for the first time, his lips began to quiver into what could have developed into a smile. "Ah. Okay. Yeah, look, I don't do dates. If you're going to hunt like an animal, you go by animal rules. I got it first, so it's mine. Tough luck, miss." And without another thought, he walked right around her and kept on his way.

That wasn't at all how that was supposed to go. Raikitsu always got what she wanted. But she didn't get the prey she wanted, nor a compensation meal (_aka, a date_), and both because of a single being. A **human being**, no less. This wasn't over.

* * *

_Well, that was annoying_, the male thought to himself as he trotted along, carrying a small sack over his shoulder. Within it was the freshly severed head of some low ranking demon who did... uh, something particularly dastardly. Enough for someone to pay for his swift death. Now that Hagiri thought about it, did his 'client' mention his reasons for wanting such a lame creature dead? _Probably did_, he renounced with a shrug. If so, he didn't remember. It wasn't his business. He wasn't payed for sympathy, after all.

The kill was easy enough. Hell of a lot easier than the bullshit he usually had to go through. A single pebble was all it took, and he mused how long it had been since a job had been so simple.

But then that irritating snob showed up, definitely not the first time he's had to deflect irritating individuals, but she was so... _pushy_. And arrogant, goddamn. Bent out of shape all because she had decided on a whim to attack what happened to be his target? She called that demon her prey, but in reality it had been his prey all along. He was the one who had staked out that rancid lake, waiting and waiting for the ugly aquatic creature to drag itself out into the open.

What threw him off the most about the whole incident was the she-demon's bizarre request for, well, basically a date. _A date_. **A date**. _What in the actual hell._ If his face was as expressive as his thoughts, he may have laughed in her face! First and foremost, he did not date. It wasn't really his scene. Secondly, and probably just as important, he would never get near a thing so cocky and rude and prissy. He was already cynical towards women in general, but girls like that - demon or not - made his skin crawl. He wouldn't touch that demanding, high-maintenance bitch with a ten-foot pole. But fortune seemed to smile upon him; she didn't seem to follow him, and hopefully he would never have to see that pouty little face again.

He had finally reached the edge of the plains, having walked through the rustling sickly-seafoam grass, and could see the river bend up ahead. That meant the safehouse was near, though his main concern lay with the motorcycle he'd stowed away there. He couldn't have driven right up to his prey, nor could he have just left it behind in the forest or a wide-ass-open field, but he couldn't complain. It wasn't that bad of a walk, and the exercise was always nice.

As he approached, he spotted a wooden cart tipped over and broken, with a weepy little demon pitifully slumped next to the wreckage. Various wares and fruits were scattered around them. It almost made him want to try and give the poor guy a sympathetic look as he passed... Almost.

"E-excuse me, sir!"

_Damn._

Hagiri reluctantly came to a stop and glanced over. "Yes?"

The wispy little thing jumped up to his feet, nervously rubbing his hands together. "If you a-aren't busy, sir, could you a-accompany me into town?"

The raven-haired male cocked a brow. "Why?"

"Why? D-don't you know?"

The rest was all a blurry instant. The demon's grin, the sudden pain shooting down his spine and enveloping the back of his head. The world began to spin around him, and his knees hit something hard - _was it the ground?_ - then his chest and head followed. He needed to get up, why couldn't he get up? He heard that ratty bastard cackle, then lean down over him.

"This is a dangerous area, ahahahaha!"

His head hurt. The ground was hard. This freak was laughing. And his world quickly went black.


	2. No Less a Slave

**CYANIDE SALIVA: Chapter 2**

"No Less a Slave"

* * *

A bright, fiery sun hoisted itself into the sapphire stretch of cloudless sky. Like a fat king perching on his throne, he looked hungrily over the world below as a tyrant might glare over his kingdom. Waves of warmth hummed silently against the land, gently pushing its subjects into motion while the burning yellow sphere watched impatiently from above.

The illuminated heat seemed awfully pervasive, the blonde vixen mused, as it shot in through the large window and filled her stone-walled room with its presence. She lay perfectly still on her bed, her skin resting against the soft purple silk of her sheets. Her amethyst hues gazed up to the dusty, stone ceiling without a particular focus, and her breath was slow and nearly silent. In this moment, there was no bloodshed, no cruelty, no violence, nor were there any thoughts, concerns, or fears. She simply _existed_.

What a wonderful, lonely feeling.

Her thoughtless trance was interrupted as the door suddenly creaked open. An old and rather short demon, with slightly blue-toned horned skin, slouched in the doorway. "They're wanting you down in the pit," he spoke with a drone, "there's a special event today and they want you as a spectator."

With a dramatic flare, she threw her arm up across her forehead, closing her eyes and turning her head away. "Oh, you _wretched_ butler, can't you tell the masters to please their own crowds? It's simply exhausting having to do their job for them~ and besides, I'm having an existential moment here!"

Her last word had barely fluttered from her pouting lips when a book flew across the room and straight into her head.

"Ow!" She flinched and quickly sat up, baring her sharp canines. "What the hell-"

"It seems again you've forgotten your place." The yōkai servant seemed to spit out each word. "Buy all the vacation days you like, you conceited, vile creature," he leaned forward, nearly growling out his speech between clenched teeth, "but it doesn't change the fact that you're _no less_ a slave than anyone else here."

Rai blinked for a moment, her eyes widening slightly as her angry expression faded into that of an almost childish gaze. "Not... even a little less?"

Another book suddenly beamed her again, right in the same spot. She curled over a bit, holding her assaulted head. "_FUCK_ man, I was joking!"

"Shall I tell them you'll be down in 15 minutes?" He asked, his voice back to a dull drone. He took her hiss as a confirmation and spun around, leaving her to get ready and closing the door behind him.

A quiet _"Shit..."_ hissed from her lips as she stood up, stretching a bit before rubbing her head. "Ooh yeah, I'm such a valued fucking spectator," she muttered as she pulled off her loose blouse and fleece pajama pants, "so feel free to beam me in the goddamn _head_ with a Greek epic."

Moving to the small wooden dresser at the foot of her bed, she pulled out her black and white gothic lolita dress, her fingers toying with the yellow string that laced up the front. Both the dress and its design was custom-made, just for her. Well... she liked to think it had been for her. Nothing kept an audience coming back like a popular icon - she may have only been a Class B demon, but she'd become an A-list celebrity in the world of illegal, underground fight clubs. Her emerging fanbase was what shot this rinky dink arena into the ranks alongside the most infamous clubs, and with its popularity and cash flow booming, Carne Vale became quite the force to be reckoned with.

Within minutes she had donned her famous attire, flowing frills perfectly in place, laces tied off in perfect bows. Looking in the mirror, she pulled up her hair into thick, curly twin tails, taking a moment to glance at the pictures and cards and letters she had fixed to the mirror's edges, tokens of adoration from her loving fans. Her gaze then fell to the bouquet of withering roses that lay on the surface of the vanity table, and with a sudden flare of anger, she reached out and slung the aged flowers into the trash can.

She was no less a slave than anyone else in this hell hole.

* * *

Scurrying through an array of creatures, Raikitsu made her way to the 'arena', which was literally no more than a large, open pit. A balcony encircled the pit, which offered quite a bit of seating for any rich, sadistic individual with spare time to come and watch the bloodbath. Below the balcony where the audience watched with sick pleasure as demons were forced at each other's throats, the rest of Carne Vale's enslaved fighters gathered to watch and cheer on one of their own against the slave of a rival troupe. Rai was never known to enjoy watching the fights, but her masters thought that, as their house celebrity, it was her obligation to show support by cheering on her comrades.

She finally managed to scoot up to the frontlines, since she needed to be seen by the audience (otherwise, what would be the point?), and found herself beside a female neko of about the same age. Thick, gold hoops dangled from large, expressive feline ears, which twitched and perked up as she watched the match. "Oi, Ri'anha!"

The tall, tan-furred cat demon jumped slightly before turning to Rai. "Ah! You're here! They've been wondering where you were. The fight's almost over."

"Yeah yeah. They can shove it~ I'm here now, anyways. So! What's this special event I heard of?"

Ri'anha's ears lay back, her head tilting slightly. "I'm not sure. They haven't mentioned anything."

"So they want to surprise us all, then... This should be good." The blonde sighed, brushing the cyan bangs from her eyes as she turned focus to the pit ahead of her, where two bloodied and bruised demons continued to slash and punch each other. Cheers and angry motivational-attempts filled the air, bombarding the tense atmosphere from the spectators above.

She didn't recognize either demon, so this couldn't have been any kind of special event. In fact, it was quite the opposite - two completely ordinary, brutish ogres fighting to bash each others' brains in... No more spectacular than a demon bar fight, and appealing only to the most basic forms of bloodlust. No, this was merely an appetizer, to settle the audience into their seats, to let them know a show was about to start.

At long last, a bloodied heap of creature drooped to the ground, and the standing ogre finished him off with a swift kick to the head. The loser hit the rocky floor with a somewhat satisfying **pop**, as the impact cracked his skull open like an egg. Blood quickly pooled around the corpse as the victor huffed and puffed over the kill, his shoulders heaving with every labored breath, and the crowd broke into more joyful shouts and cheers.

"That one was ours," the feline whispered, referring to the deceased ogre as she handed the vixen an apple, "he only got here last week... how dreadful."

Rai's lips parted to respond, but before she could, the booming voice of Carne Vale's announcer filled the arena and silenced the audience.

"Now, we have a treat for you all today." The croaky voice seemed to coo to the crowd as if it were a child about to be rewarded for good behavior. From the far side of the pit, an 8-meter-tall rock titan emerged from the barracks, each of its footsteps causing the ground to shake ever so slightly. "Watching demons beat the shit out of each other may be exciting, but sometimes-"

A gap formed on their side of the ground-level crowd of fighters, as a few superiors marched toward the pit. Everyone seemed to crane their necks, curious to see what was happening. Rai stood on her tippy toes, even jumping a time or two to catch a glimpse in between anxious bites of the apple within her hand.

"-it's much more fun-"

As the small group passed by, Rai noticed there was another figure in the center of their tight formation. The figure's arms were being held tight, its head covered with a black cloth sack, and they briskly escorted it into the pit.

_"-to watch a helpless bug squirm."_

At the announcer's cue, one of the escorts reached over and pulled off the sack to reveal this special-event fighter. His raven hair was messy and matted with blood, and wide, confused lavendar eyes darted around, and as they stepped away from him, he slowly turned around, desperate to figure out where he was.

The twice-bitten apple landed on the ground with a soft **thud**.


	3. Even the Odds

**CYANIDE SALIVA: Chapter 3**

"Even the Odds"

* * *

Raikitsu froze, eyes wide in shock as if she'd seen a ghost, mouth slightly agape. Her arm remained raised, her hand poised to her mouth as if taking a bite of something, but the apple had already hit the ground moments ago.

"H-Hey, are you okay?" The taller neko beside her asked, quickly scanning Rai up and down with concern. "Your face is white- more so than before, I mean! Hey! Can you hear me?"

The blonde, cyan-tipped vixen didn't seem to notice her friend at all. Her amethyst eyes were glued to the figure - the human - that had been escorted into the pit. _There's... no way. This c-couldn't be..._ Those eyes widened even further as he turned around to take in his new surroundings. There was no mistaking that face, that stupidly gorgeous pretty-boy face. Her stomache dropped, and she could feel her heart beating in her throat. Ri'anha continued to ask her questions, but she couldn't hear them. It wasn't until the feline moved in front of her, clawed fingers grabbing at her shoulders, that her suspended arm finally rested at her side.

"Shit, Rai!"

Her lips trembled, but she couldn't seem to find her voice. She glanced up to her friend, who then took the cue to step to the side and turn around to try and spot whatever paralyzing horror there was, but could only see that human male, turning now to stare at the large titan made of solid rock that stood before him. _Strange,_ the tan-colored girl thought, _he doesn't look as scared-shitless as I imagined a human would be right now... in fact he looks more angry than anything el-_

"Ri'anha."

The cat-eared female snapped her attention back to the other. "What? What is it?!"

Rai's hands clenched tightly, and her horror-stricken expression had been replaced with a more neutral look. "Get me my guitar." She glanced over to the other, who nodded at her request and spun on her heels, disappearing at once into the crowd without a question or moment of hesitation. Above, the announcer's voice croaked out the obvious guidelines of the match, and she watched with a strange pain in her chest as the human male visibly flinched at the harsh, crowd-pleasing words. This wasn't fair, this was too far, even for a place like Carne Vale.

Before the bell rang to start the fight, those laced up knee-high boots carried the she-demon straight into the pit.

"Whoa~!" she loudly exclaimed, though in a very bright and cheery manner, and in an instant her whole demeanor had changed. "Now wait a minute here, does that sound right to you all?" She looked up to the audience above her, beaming as a wave of whistles and cheers washed over the arena.

The male could only stare at her in shock and disbelief. He quickly held the very same paralyzed-in-fear expression she'd held just seconds ago. _There's... no way,_ he thought, watching the spritely little diva laugh and grin and speak to those in the crowd as if they were a child, stirring them up into a bumbling mass of applause. _What was __**she**__ doing here...?!_

He wasn't the only one whose face was struck with horror at her sudden, inexplicable interference. Two men in suits, one much older than the other, quickly pushed through the fighters as they tried to reach the pit. "What the fuck is that snake-tongued bitch doing?!" the younger one hissed, his clean-shaven face flushed with rage. The older simply watched in silence, for now.

"I mean," she continued, dramatically moving her hands to rest on her hips as she gave a playful wink to the audience, "I love blood and guts as much as the next demon, but come on! A _human_? That's hardly an event - what's next, they bring in cats for us to kick around? Where's the entertainment value?" Throwing her hands up into an exaggerated shrug, she closed her eyes and scoffed. "I just don't see it~"

Judging by the crowd's reaction, they were going along with whatever point she was trying to make. Hagiri's heart raced within his throat, though his body appeared calm. What was she getting at? Was she trying to stop the match, or provoke something else? Did she even recognize him? Had she seen his face?

By this point, the two suited men had reached them, though it was the younger one who huffed and puffed to catch his breath, while nearly shaking with anger. "Rai, you arrogant little brat," he hissed out, quiet enough for his words to be lost under the crowd's noise, but plenty loud enough to catch the girl's attention. She quickly went and stood in front of them, bowing her head for a moment before turning to the older man.

"My apologies, sirs, I just thought-"

"You aren't here to think, goddammit-"

A hand rose up to stop the man mid-sentence. The calm, older man merely smiled, turning to his partner. "I'd like to hear her thoughts."

"Th-thank you, masters!" She quickly bowed again, then straightened up. "But they seem to agree, merely watching a human get pummeled isn't nearly as seat-gripping as a heated battle. Drama is what really sells, after all!"

"No shit, princess-" but again he was cut off by the older man's hand. He growled for a moment in ill attempt to suppress his swelling anger. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying..." As her voice began to trail, she glanced over to the human, and for the first time that day their eyes met. Her lips suddenly spread into a cocky grin as she turned back to the suited masters. "I'm saying I should give him a hand in the fight, to fill in for his handicap!"

Everyone's faces around her quickly turned into a mix of surprise, shock, and confusion. The noise of the crowd had died down and she could see the individuals beginning to squirm and wriggle in their seats. They were becoming anxious, and she waited just as anxiously for her masters' approval. They turned towards each other to whisper business, and she took the opportunity to turn towards the human.

"So, how's that sound?" She asked in a perky tone.

His brow twitched as he stared at her. Was she happy? Did this make her happy? "What the hell is this place?" He growled, leaning closer to her. "Those dipshits are really forcing me to fight this thing? The fuck is even going on?"

Her giddy expression slowly faded. It hadn't dawned on her just how overwhelming and bizarre this must have all seemed to him. "Look, all you need to know right now is that I can make sure you leave this place alive." As she looked at him, her eyes gazing into his own, another realization dawned on her. Her brow suddenly cocked, the corners of her lips curving up into a devious smirk, and she leaned in closely. "If~ you go on a date with me~"

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS." He reeled back, glaring at her and her stupid fucking smirk. Was that her plan this whole time? Or was she just dumb enough to push that stupid ass issue at a time like this?

Her lips pouted at his reaction. "Yes," she replied, blinking for a moment before her brows furrowed, "I never joke."

He had to fight the urge to punch her in the face, but as stupid as it was, she seemed to be the only one working in his favor right now. _God-fucking-dammit,_ he cursed to himself, continuing to glare at this unbelievable creature.

"Rai!"

They both looked up as the neko, Ri'anha, came running forward, tightly holding the neck of Rai's black guitar. The blonde thanked her profusely and slung the instrument over her back with a grin, and he could do nothing but watch in absolute stupor. What in the hell was going on? Did she really fucking have to have her damn guitar right now? Would she play him a nice song, at least, as he's pounded into oblivion by that giant fucking rock monster?!

The masters turned back to Rai and she jumped back over to their company, eager for their answer. He watched with extremely mixed feelings as they gave her a nod and she grinned, giving a little jump in victory, and she raced back over to him.

"Yes! They agreed! _See?_ I'm able to help~" she gave him a wink, "so, I blast apart that rock titan and you'll take me on a date, right?"

He could only glare at her again, taking a deep breath. "I don't date," he stated simply, feeling slightly like a dumbass for not being able to meet the one damn requirement from someone about to save his ass, but he also didn't want to lie either.

"What?! What kind of _bullshit_ is th-"

Her response was cut off abuptly as the masters approached them. "Excuse me, but Rai, you didn't let us finish..."

The both of them suddenly felt a heavy sinking sensation within the pit of their stomachs as they waited for whatever was to follow that up. However, it wouldn't be them but the announcer to deliver the update.

"Well, looks like there's a turn of events here today!" Everyone grew quiet. "Looks like Vale's own diva has stepped in to fight alongside a human!" There was an audible mix of feelings from the spectators; some cheered, while others boo'd or grumbled. "However~~" he continued in a sing-songy tune, "that would flip the odds in the other direction, now, wouldn't it? After all, if Miss Cyanide herself demands a fair fight..."

Once again, Rai began to get that sinking feeling as she and her now-partner clung helplessly to every announced word.

"...then we should even those odds a bit."

_Shit._

Moments later, a snarling roar came from the barracks behind the rock titan, and the unlikely pair watched with absolute dread as a much larger, 15-meter-tall serpentine demon slithered and writhed out into the pit. Its head was adorned with spiked fins, its slender but upright body covered in slimy fish-like scales. After getting over the initial shock of its entrance, Rai turned to the male with a coy smile. "See that? _A fishy demon._ Now if that's not karma, I don't-"

"Hey, focus!" He snapped at her. "I at least stood a chance against Rocky over there. Can you really take them both on?!"

With a cocky grin, she waved her hand in front of her face as if it were no big deal, although on the inside she was _slightly_ panicking. "Do I have a date~?"

His scowl nearly caused her to jump back, his normally indifferent expression twisted into that of a subtle but powerful rage.

A bell suddenly rang, signaling for the fight to begin. His focus immediately switched to the rock titan, who began stomping in long strides towards them, its dark eyes locked onto him. _Shit!_ His eyes darted around, but there was nothing he could use - he was a gun without ammo, and had never felt so terribly helpless as he did in that brief moment.

* * *

**a/n: Oh my, this chapter seemed like it took forever to hash out... x_x but anyways! I hope you're enjoying it so far! ;-; I haven't really written a full story in a long ass time so I'm kind of forcing myself to keep this up. Like always, I greatly appreciate any and all reviews! x) Please let me know what you think, how it could be better, etc~ just be sure to keep all criticism constructive, of course! 3**


End file.
